From Maldive's city airport to Maldive's airport city

Maldives Aerocity represent a final step in a process of research that lasted for more than six month. In this thesis I intend to elaborate the airport city concept in Maldive. Transportaion is a determinant of urban form which has always shaped the evolution and economic position of cities. First, our major cities largely grew around seaports. Next, urban development took place along rivers that formed the backbone of industrial revolutions in Europe. Railroads opened up lanlocked interiors of nations. We are now into a fifth wave of transit-oriented development of airports[Kasarda]. Maldive is an interesting case where mobility meets nature. Comparing how often people travel by airports to a decade before, we can understand that airports are not anymore the place where the airplanes land, in the periphery of the cities. Nowadays airports are playing an important role in urban form, shape of cities, location of bussiness centers, infrastructure, housing and different facilities. Male, as the capital of Maldives islands, located in the indian ocean is among the places where in the near future will be influenced by this globally netwroked phenomenon of airport. Melana International Airport Terminal operated by Maldives Airports Company is the main gateway of Maldives. Located on Hulhule Island in the North Mae Atoll, nearby the capital island Male, it is an airport built on reclaimed land among paradise islands where resort industry is the main contributor to the national economy. Over recent years, the traffic demand of international tourist to resorts islands had been steadily increasing. this traffic is expected to reach from 2.7 today, to approximately 7.3 million passengers by 2030. In this thesis we would like to have an elaborated planning and design proposal for the future airport city and its terminal.